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| CITIZENSHIP
COMMUNITY COURAGE |
This is
the title for a major new display project
now being established at the Tank Museum.
The theme is obvious from the title but the display will include
real medals awarded to real people, the citations that
show why they were awarded and other relevant information, in
traditional and interactive forms.
As an introduction we will use this section, in future, to explore
the subject, which many visitors to the Tank Museum find so
fascinating. |
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This is the
group (above) awarded to Gunner Jacob Glaister who
took part in the very first tank attack, on 15th September
1916 near Flers on the Somme.
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| Reading from
the left, as one should, they are |
- The Distinguished Conduct Medal
- The Military Medal
- The British War Medal and
- The Allied Victory Medal.
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| The photo on
the right shows Glaister, with the Machine Gun Corps cap
badge, on a despatch rider's machine. |
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Tank Museum photo No. 0421/E/3 |
| This
is a Mark I tank, a female machine (armed with machine-guns)
similar to tank D16 Dracula in which Glaister served
as a machine-gunner in the first tank attack. Unfortunately
the glass negative of this original picture is damaged. |
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Gunner Glaister was awarded the Distinguished
Conduct Medal for an act of bravery on that first day.
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| As Dracula approached the village
of Flers it came under artillery fire and it seems
the tank stopped to rescue a wounded New Zealander.
In the process the tank's commander, Lieutenant Arthur
Arnold was wounded in the leg and this is when Glaister
took charge of the tank and manoeuvred it in order
to rescue him. |
| Some days later Dracula was
in action again. Unfortunately the full circumstances
are not so clear except we know that Glaister himself
was wounded this time, as was the officer in command,
when the tank was hit and apparently destroyed.
It resulted in Glaister being awarded the Military
Medal. |
Photographs
with a reference number can be purchased from the Tank
Museum shop.
To find out more click
here |
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